Coded photographic record card for use in data storage devices and method of making same



May 2 7, 1969 R. s. ROBINSON 3,446,945 CODED PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD CARDFOR USE IN DATA STORAGE DEVICES AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed April29, (1.964

IN ENTOR.

United States Patent US. Cl. 235-6112 9 Claims ABSTRACT THE DISCLOSURE Acoded photographic record card for use with data storage and retrievaldevices is made by cropping a length of film from a conventional stripof the same including sprocket openings located along one or both edgesof the strip. One or both longitudinal marginal edge portions of suchlength of film material are thereafter removed by severing the webslocated between the sprocket openings along lines located either nearthe inboard or near the outboard ends of each web so as to produceeither the presence or absence of a coding tab at each Web locationdepending on the location of the line along which each web is severed.

This invention relates to data storage and retrieval devices and moreparticularly to a system for coding cards fabricated from standardperforated photographic film.

Micro-film is widely used for the storing of images of signed ororiginal documents, photographs, fingerprints, drawings, and any suchmaterial of the class which does not translate efificiently into binarylanguage for storage in a memory. One form for storing such micro-filmrecords according to the present art is to cut the film into shortlengths each of Which carries one or several images of such material andmount each said length in a data card. The cards may then be stored in afile or stack in such manner that individual cards can be retrieved bysequential or simultaneous search.

To facilitate the retrieval of any particular card from a stack ofcards, each card comprising the stack is usually coded with a uniquecoding. Such coding may comprise an array of punched holes of the formused in Well known sequential search devices, or same may comprise oneor more rows of tabs any of which can be removed to achieve uniquecoding, of the form used in known simultaneous search devices.Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a simplifieddata storage device constructed from standard perforated photographicfilm.

A card according to this invention comprises a length of perforatedphotographic strip film, defined herein as any form of standardphotographic film perforated with sprocket holes, from which the edgesadjacent to the perforations have been removed by slittinglongitudinally along a line adjacent to the outer limit of the maximumwidth of the perforations in such manner that the Web of film materialnormally disposed between the perforations or sprocket holes becomescoding tabs. The identification coding of a card of such form isperformed by removing certain combinations of such tabs in accordancewith a prearranged order.

Alternatively, cards according to this invention may be codedsimultaneously with the removal of the outer edges of the perforatedfilm by longitudinally severing the inner or the outer limit of said webof material disposed between each perforation in accordance with thecoding array desired. In fabricating cards according to the inventionthe cropping of the continuous film to the length desired for the cardneed not be performed until after 3,446,945 Patented May 27, 1969development and drying of the film is slitting, coding, complete.

In order to prevent photographic film cards of the invention fromexcessive curling due to changes in temperature and humidity, there maybe provided a stitfening frame connected to the card in such manner thatthe outer edges of said frame approximately coincide with the inneredges of the sprocket holes. To minimize the cost of construction ofmicro-film cards according to the invention, the stiifening frame maycomprise two opposing right angle members. The stiffening frame mayfurthermore be formed with one or more opposite pairs of outwardlyextending teeth to reinforce the corner or other teeth of the cardagainst wear and possible fold-over.

It is therefore another object of this invention to provide a datastorage device constructed from perforated photographic film.

It is another object of this invention to provide a means for codingperforated photographic film utilizing the existing sprocket holes.

Other objectives of the invention will become apparent from theaccompanying specification read with the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of a micro-film card according to the invention formedfrom standard double-perforated 35 mm. photographic film,

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged plan view of one edge of a perforatedphotographic film including three complete sprocket holes,

FIG. 3 shows a micro-film card according to the invention formed fromdouble-perforated 35 mm. photographic film With means for coding oneside of the card simultaneously with the removal of same edge of theoriginal film,

FIG. 4 shows a single coding means of the device of FIG. 3,

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a card having different forms of reinforcingframes, and

FIG. 7 shows a portion of a card having a one piece frame formed with aplurality of reinforcing tabs which coincide with the tabs in such card.

Referring now to the drawing and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, amicro-film card 11 comprises a length of standard 35 mm. photographicdouble perforated film 12, the ends 13 and 14 of the card 11 are croppedso that the card is equal to eleven sprocket pitches in length. Thecentral part of the card, as is conventional, serves as the datareceiving area on which data is photographically recorded. The oppositesides 15 of the film 12 are longitudinally slit along the outer limit ofthe full depth d of perforations 16 in such a manner that the limitcomprises the edges 17 of card 11.

The webs of material disposed between adjacent perforations 16 becomecoding tabs 18 which may be subsequently removed in such manner as tocomprise a unique identification coding for search and retrievalpurposes in accordance with a well known technique which is not a partof this invention. Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4 a strip of singleperforated photographic film 20 has emerged from a micro-filming camera21 and is at rest at a coding station where it comes into alignment witha plurality of shear cutters 22. At the outer end of the coding stationa lateral cropper 23 is disposed which crops continuous film 20 intocorrect lengths. Each cutter 22 aligns with the web of material betweenadjacent sprocket holes 24 and there are as many shear cutters as thereare webs of material in the length of card to be generated.

The shear cutters 22 are laterally slidable throughout a strokesubstantially equal to the width b of the Web (as seen in FIG. 2) andeach is provided with a vertical extension 25 enabling manual movementof same to its inner or its outer limit of lateral movement. The lowerWing of each cutter 28 is supported and guided on a base 27 and theupper wing 28 of each said cutter can be depressed to perform theshearing action. A bar 29 extending the length of all cutters issupported on suitable arms, the ends of which are pivoted to the base insuch manner as to enable simultaneous operation of all shear cutters.

In operation, following the emergence of photographic film from camera21 each shear cutter 28 is moved inwardly or outwardly by manualmovement of its extension in accordance with the coding desired, and thebar 29 is depressed thereby simultaneously cutting the webs and removingthe edge material off the film 20 in such a manner that the desiredcoding tabs are generated by the said edge removing procedure. The film20 is then fed under shears 22 through the correct number of pitches.

It will be understood that in the above embodiment the setting andoperation of the shear cutters 22 and cropper 23 may readily be adaptedto automatic and remotely controlled mechanisms of Well knownconstruction which are beyond the scope of this invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, coded card 30 is provided with astiffening frame 31 which is bondingly connected thereto by a permanentbond of well known formulation (not shown). Stitfening frame 31 isblanked from a thin ribbon of metal the central window 32 of which isWaste. To improve the economy of stiffened cards according to theinvention, frame 31 may be replaced by the frame illustrated in FIG. 6comprising two pieces 33 and 34.

In some cards according to the invention it may be desirable to stiffenall or some of the film coding tabs. The invention provides as shown inFIG. 7 that the stiffening frame 35 may be formed with a plurality ofteeth 36 which substantially coincide with coding tabs 37 of the filmcard 38 and may be bondingly connected thereto in such manner as tostifien tabs 37.

Although the invention has been described and illusstrated in detail, itis to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration andexample only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit andscope of this invention being limited only by the terms of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. The method of making a coded record card, which method comprises thesteps of cutting a length of photographic film from a strip of such filmhaving sprocket openings arranged in spaced succession along at leastone longitudinal edge thereof and separated from one another byindividual webs of the film material, and removing the marginal edgeportion of said length of film along said one edge thereof by severingeach web of said edge portion along a line spaced inwardly from said oneedge by a distance depending on the coded representation to beestablished so that the portions of said webs thereafter remaining withthe main body of said length of film constitute laterally outwardlyextending code tabs setting up the desired coded representation.

2. The method of making a coded record card as defined in claim 1further characterized by said step of removing the marginal edge portionof said length of film being accomplished by severing each web of saidedge portion along a line located either near the outboard end or nearthe inboard end of said web in accordance with the coded representationto be established so as to provide on the finished card either afull-length code tab or substantially no code tab at the location ofeach of said webs.

3. The method of making a coded record card as defined in claim 1further characterized by attaching a stiffening frame to at least oneside of said length of film in such a manner that said code tabs extendlaterally outwardly from the periphery of said frame.

4. A coded record card for use in data storage and retrieval devicescomprising a generally rectangular piece of photographic film having acentral data receiving area on which data is photographically recorded,said record card also having along at least one edge thereof a number ofcode tabs extending laterally outwardly from the body of said card andspaced from one another longitudinally of said one edge which code tabsare made of the same material as the remainder of said piece ofphotographic film and are integral with the main body thereof.

5. A coded record card as defined in claim 4 further characterized by aplurality of code tabs located along a second edge of said card parallelto said one edge which latter code tabs extend laterally outwardly fromsaid body of said piece of photographic film and are spaced from oneanother longitudinally along said second edge.

6. A coded record card as defined in claim 4 further characterized by astiffening frame attached to said piece of photographic film, saidstiffening frame having a central window within which said datareceiving area of said piece of film is received and also having oneouter edge extending along the inboard ends of said code tabs.

7. A coded record card as defined in claim 6 further characterized bysaid stiffening frame having a plurality of laterally outwardlyextending teeth each of which overlies a portion of an associated one ofsaid code tabs.

8. A coded record card as defined in claim 6 further characterized bysaid stiffening frame comprising two substantially identical parts eachlocated adjacent an opposite face of said piece of film material.

9. A coded record card for use in data storage and re trieval devicesand cut from a length of photographic film having sprocket openingsarranged in spaced succession along at least one longitudinal edgethereof and separated from one another by individual webs of the filmmaterial, said record card comprising a piece of photographic film suchas aforesaid having a main data receiving area and a plurality oflaterally outwardly extending code tabs spaced from one another alongone edge thereof, said code tabs consisting of selected ones of the websoriginally forming a part of said piece of film.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,584,995 5/1926 Saltzman2356l.12 3,034,643 5/1962 Keller et a1 235-61.12 X 2,342,517 2/1944Nevin 23561.12 2,371,008 3/1945 Whittlesey 235-6112 X 3,177,600 4/1965Wengel 23561.12

DARYL W. COOK, Primary Examiner.

